Funding Secured for Bovine TB Actiphage Trials

Bovine TB is one of a group of diseases caused by
mycobacteria that has devastated the agricultural industry worldwide.

Now
UK agri-tech start-up PBD Biotech, developers of the first rapid test
for live mycobacteria, has secured £400,000 in its first major strategic
investment round to fund international trials and launch a suite of
products.

New Anglia LEP CEO Chris Starkie & PBD Biotech
CEO Dr Berwyn Clarke

In the past year, in the UK alone, bovine
TB has led to the slaughter
of over 30,000 cattle and cost the UK taxpayer more than £100 million
as, until now, there has been no accurate way to test for the disease.
Actiphage addresses this challenge.

Early private investor Tom Green,
former CEO of EU agri-business Spearhead International Ltd, explains
the Actiphage test’s potential: “Mycobacterial disease is a global
challenge for the whole livestock industry, so the scale of the problem
PBD Biotech is addressing is enormous, and the targets for the new
technology are very clear.

“This new technology
has the potential to transform the way we operate in agriculture,
and, additionally has huge application in the food industry.”

Set up just over 12 months ago, PBD Biotech has developed
Actiphage, a rapid, highly sensitive test for bovine TB, Johne’s and
other mycobacterial diseases in livestock, wildlife and exotics.

Actiphage accurately identify
the presence of live bacteria in blood, milk or other tissue in as
little as 6 hours and can also distinguish between infected and vaccinated
animals. It has the UK Government’s approval for chronic herd breakdowns,
and the company is currently conducting a number of field-based trials.

Tom, who was appointed Chair of PBD Biotech’s board in September 2017,
commented further:
“The first challenge in disease management is diagnosis
and there is a huge need for improved accuracy in the current testing regime.
The ability to confidently eliminate false negatives - diseased animals
which go undetected - is fundamental to both the maintenance of disease
free herd status, as well as to the proactive control, management and reduction
of disease in infected herds.

“This round of investment is enabling PBD
Biotech to accelerate its go to market strategy, putting more resources
into manufacturing and lab development, as well as extending training capacity
and conducting further trials work.”

Controlled trials have demonstrated
the effectiveness of Actiphage. Its use by a Devon vet as part of a private
TB eradication strategy helped clear a dairy herd of bovine TB for the
first time in six years. In May 2018, the UK Government accepted the phage-based
technology for exceptional private use on TB-stricken cattle herds in England.

International
trials are underway in Canada and France, with discussions in multiple
regions including the USA, Dubai and South America. As a result of this
funding round, PBD Biotech has established a Canadian subsidiary for distribution
and, in the longer term, manufacturing.

New Anglia Local
Enterprise Partnership (LEP) manages the co-investment fund, their CEO
Chris Starkie said:
“Seed funding of this kind is vital for businesses
to take innovative new ideas and turn them into something tangible – with
job creation and economic growth the result. PBD Biotech is doing just
that, and doing it within an industry sector that plays a key role in driving
our economy forward.”